The Mount Laurel, N.J.-based company gave ESPN the green light to broadcast the soundbite, and it has Jets running back Le’Veon Bell, Darnold’s highest profile teammate, upset.

“The NFL screwed Sammy over...there’s not one player in the NFL who’s cool with having every sideline convo broadcasted to millions...there’s a reason we’ve never heard other QB’s frustrated on the sideline like that before...that’s crazy, @NFL did Sam dirty as hell,” Bell tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.

The New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta explained how the process of approving a soundbite on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcasts works in a thread on Twitter Tuesday:

Here's how MNF Mic'd process works: NFL Films signed off on Sam Darnold's "ghosts" comment to be aired. They had a rep on site. My understanding is that people high on NFL Films totem pole are not happy that their rep cleared this for air. (cont)

One more note on how Mic’d up comments reach air: NFL Films clears a comment for air... ESPN does have the freedom to not use the comment if they choose. In this case, once NFL Films gave the green light on Sam Darnold’s ghosts comment, ESPN decided to use it. Made for great TV

The Jets should have had a representative present to vet these soundbites and prevent their second-year quarterback from going viral for the wrong reasons yet another time this season.

The NFL Films rep who approved it should have thought about the long-term ramifications of his decision. Sure, it made for a good soundbite, but it could also compromise teams willing to cooperate with NFL Films on mic’ing up prominent players in the future to prevent this from happening.

Per NFL rules, every starting quarterback and head coach in the league is required to be wired for sound by NFL Films once a season.

In the end, it made for a great moment for ESPN -- who was never going to pass on using this soundbite on its broadcast -- and television viewers who stuck through the ugly contest, and an unfortunate moment for Darnold, who was in the midst of likely the worst performance of his young career.

“I just have to see the field a lot better,” Darnold said. “That’s kind of what that means. It was a rough day out there, rough night out there. Obviously I have to be better and learn from the mistakes.”

“That’s just the NFL,” Darnold later added. “One week I play well and I feel like I’m seeing the field great and then I come back this week and the opposite happens.”